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Established in 1999, Agilent, a spin-off from Hewlett Packard, is a globally diversified
technology company focusing on high-growth markets in the communications,
electronics and life sciences industries. Due to its increasingly global and multicultural
stance towards its customers, suppliers and strategic partners, Agilent must be positioned
to relate and react to diverse needs and expectations.
The Challenge
Being a worldwide organization, Agilent’s manpower planning is done on a global
basis. Agilent Singapore has to compete with and convince business decision-makers
worldwide why operations are best located in Singapore. The business case for Agilent
Singapore is contingent on the re-skilling of Singapore labour force, rigorousness of
workforce planning and the ability to attract talents.
The task to attract talents complicates when the economy expands. Agilent needs
to poise itself uniquely and adopt a robust strategy to counter competition from big
brand names.
Strategising Recruitment & Selection
Re-engineer process
To mirror its core values which are speed, focus and accountability, one of Agilent’s
key performance indicators for recruitment is the speed of hire. Given the stifling
competition for talents, Agilent believes success accrues in seizing candidates before
competition does. To do so, hiring managers now take over the scheduling and conducting
of interviews instead of having recruiters act as intermediaries. In addition, through
continuous human resources support in the areas of seminars and knowledge transfer,
hiring managers in Agilent are well equipped with information such as competitive market
pay ranges to offer outstanding candidates a position at the first instance.
Maximise Technology
To reach out to the diverse pool of job applicants, Agilent revolutionised the technology
behind recruitment. Employment application is confined to on-line process for building
a database that Agilent can tap globally. Using the same third party software worldwide,
Applicant Tracking System rates candidates with a template jointly customized by the
hiring manager and the recruiter to suit the position in hire and filters candidates on
a ‘tier-by-tier’ basis to select those who best meet the criteria.
One added merit of technology is the ability to trickle candidates for another open position
in Agilent. In view of the fact that skill sets differ for the various business groups in
Agilent, candidates who are unsuitable for a particular position may well be suitable
for another position. Candidates are automatically prompted by the system if a position
that arises matches their career profiles.
Develop Referral
Having experienced high success rates with referral, Agilent is actively pursuing and
developing its referral channel for hiring excellence. Knowing the key to a successful
referral programme lies in awareness creation, Agilent markets the campaign the way
marketers promote brands. A catchy tagline “It’s About You” is coined to instill the notion
that everyone in Agilent is a recruiter and they can recommend friends and relatives
for suitable openings.
Accruing to the success of Agilent’s referral programme is the strength of its corporate
culture and work environment. Agilent’s shared practices in open communication
promote understanding of the kind of people that will fit and excel in the organisation,
thus making employees apt to recruit. Having won the ‘Best Employer in Asia’ award
and similar accolades globally, Agilent’s brand name works in favour of employees
recommending suitable positions to friends and relatives.
Currently, Agilent’s referral programme contributes to approximately 21 per cent of
new hires and recruiters are hopeful that the figure will rise to 40 per cent in the future.
20
Agilent
Technologies
Impression Management
For overall effectiveness of recruitment and selection, Agilent advocates managing
the impression of new hire from the first day of work. Hiring managers are reminded
to ensure the new hire’s workstation is fully equipped and operationally ready on the
first day. The significance of such “On Boarding” process is to drive home the message
that the company places a strong emphasis on “productivity”.
Moving Forward
The latest emphasis within Agilent is to develop “head-hunting” capabilities. Like
headhunters, Agilent aims to conduct its own research on the types and sources of
jobs that are in high demand in Singapore. This would mean reduced cost in print
advertising, agency costs, etc. due to reduced reliance on conventional recruitment
methods. Moreover, equipped with headhunting skills, recruiters in Agilent would
be able to undertake complex hiring assignments including those that require them
to look beyond the shores of Singapore to fill jobs. Finally, recruiters who function
more like headhunters are better able to contract with hiring managers on hiring
requirements when they approach recruiting from a consulting perspective.
Agilent would also like to see an increased attention in “re-recruiting” its workforce.
Agilent feels that recruitment does not stop short at a successful hire. Efforts need to
be directed to its current workforce to re-engage them in their current job. Continued
articulation of Agilent as a “Great Place to Work” is done through frequent
communications, town hall meetings and constantly keeping employees informed
of business directions.
technology company focusing on high-growth markets in the communications,
electronics and life sciences industries. Due to its increasingly global and multicultural
stance towards its customers, suppliers and strategic partners, Agilent must be positioned
to relate and react to diverse needs and expectations.
The Challenge
Being a worldwide organization, Agilent’s manpower planning is done on a global
basis. Agilent Singapore has to compete with and convince business decision-makers
worldwide why operations are best located in Singapore. The business case for Agilent
Singapore is contingent on the re-skilling of Singapore labour force, rigorousness of
workforce planning and the ability to attract talents.
The task to attract talents complicates when the economy expands. Agilent needs
to poise itself uniquely and adopt a robust strategy to counter competition from big
brand names.
Strategising Recruitment & Selection
Re-engineer process
To mirror its core values which are speed, focus and accountability, one of Agilent’s
key performance indicators for recruitment is the speed of hire. Given the stifling
competition for talents, Agilent believes success accrues in seizing candidates before
competition does. To do so, hiring managers now take over the scheduling and conducting
of interviews instead of having recruiters act as intermediaries. In addition, through
continuous human resources support in the areas of seminars and knowledge transfer,
hiring managers in Agilent are well equipped with information such as competitive market
pay ranges to offer outstanding candidates a position at the first instance.
Maximise Technology
To reach out to the diverse pool of job applicants, Agilent revolutionised the technology
behind recruitment. Employment application is confined to on-line process for building
a database that Agilent can tap globally. Using the same third party software worldwide,
Applicant Tracking System rates candidates with a template jointly customized by the
hiring manager and the recruiter to suit the position in hire and filters candidates on
a ‘tier-by-tier’ basis to select those who best meet the criteria.
One added merit of technology is the ability to trickle candidates for another open position
in Agilent. In view of the fact that skill sets differ for the various business groups in
Agilent, candidates who are unsuitable for a particular position may well be suitable
for another position. Candidates are automatically prompted by the system if a position
that arises matches their career profiles.
Develop Referral
Having experienced high success rates with referral, Agilent is actively pursuing and
developing its referral channel for hiring excellence. Knowing the key to a successful
referral programme lies in awareness creation, Agilent markets the campaign the way
marketers promote brands. A catchy tagline “It’s About You” is coined to instill the notion
that everyone in Agilent is a recruiter and they can recommend friends and relatives
for suitable openings.
Accruing to the success of Agilent’s referral programme is the strength of its corporate
culture and work environment. Agilent’s shared practices in open communication
promote understanding of the kind of people that will fit and excel in the organisation,
thus making employees apt to recruit. Having won the ‘Best Employer in Asia’ award
and similar accolades globally, Agilent’s brand name works in favour of employees
recommending suitable positions to friends and relatives.
Currently, Agilent’s referral programme contributes to approximately 21 per cent of
new hires and recruiters are hopeful that the figure will rise to 40 per cent in the future.
20
Agilent
Technologies
Impression Management
For overall effectiveness of recruitment and selection, Agilent advocates managing
the impression of new hire from the first day of work. Hiring managers are reminded
to ensure the new hire’s workstation is fully equipped and operationally ready on the
first day. The significance of such “On Boarding” process is to drive home the message
that the company places a strong emphasis on “productivity”.
Moving Forward
The latest emphasis within Agilent is to develop “head-hunting” capabilities. Like
headhunters, Agilent aims to conduct its own research on the types and sources of
jobs that are in high demand in Singapore. This would mean reduced cost in print
advertising, agency costs, etc. due to reduced reliance on conventional recruitment
methods. Moreover, equipped with headhunting skills, recruiters in Agilent would
be able to undertake complex hiring assignments including those that require them
to look beyond the shores of Singapore to fill jobs. Finally, recruiters who function
more like headhunters are better able to contract with hiring managers on hiring
requirements when they approach recruiting from a consulting perspective.
Agilent would also like to see an increased attention in “re-recruiting” its workforce.
Agilent feels that recruitment does not stop short at a successful hire. Efforts need to
be directed to its current workforce to re-engage them in their current job. Continued
articulation of Agilent as a “Great Place to Work” is done through frequent
communications, town hall meetings and constantly keeping employees informed
of business directions.
